R.I.P Gil Scott Heron: The Orator Extraordinaire

(Rest in peace, Bro Gil….) your out of the bottle for good now!!




The music world has lost one of its greats as influential singer-songwriter and poet Gil Scott Heron died yesterday afternoon in New York City. His impact on various modern music genres, such as hip-hop, R&B, cannot be overestimated. He is mostly known for the timeless song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” which has become a phrase in the culture lexicon. After being incarcerated and battling drug problems during the 2000s, he managed to make an impressive comeback to the music scene with the critically acclaimed I’m New Here followed by the Jamie xx collaboration We’re New Here earlier this year. Below you can find a fine selection of one of his most powerful songs. Rest in Power.


Source: Hypebeast http://t.co/9j2QmFn

Edgar Rivas: Ex-con cherishes freedom but laments that he cannot vote

By Edgar Rivas

Yesterday, I met an ex-convict, he was a tow truck driver named Johny. He told me that he has never voted and probably will never be able too. He explained to me how that came about.

Johny told me the story of how his mother got tired of getting involved with bad men so for part of his teenage life he grew up without a father figure. But his mother, through her actions, taught him the importance of personal responsibility, self reliance, and living within his means. Johny told me, “I saw my mother struggle, on her own, to pay the bills and to put food on the table so that I could eat; she did not buy lavish things to make herself look good; she thought of my needs first. The memories of her struggles have inspired me to be responsible and self reliant.”

Unfortunately, he had not learned the lessons in time to save him from self destruction. You see, Johny was incarcerated for fourteen years for shooting and causing the death of a rival gang member when he was a teenager. And even though Johny lives a responsible life now, he cannot vote, never has because he was not yet eighteen when he had committed his terrible crime, and probably never will because there is little chance he will ever be pardoned. Because of that, he now laments the fact that he had acted so irresponsible. Now he has no say so to what is currently happening to our country.

Having been in jail for fourteen years, Johny had to deal with the Mexican Mafia which was always very demanding and totalitarian. In order to survive, Johny, like others that find themselves incarcerated with the mafia, had to work hard to meet the needs of the mafia which meant that he had to learn to live without. Not unlike many that live in third world nations.

HHR Film Review of “Thing With No Name”

Thing With No Name Trailer from Sarah Friedland on Vimeo.


In the documentary film entitled Thing With No Name producers Sarah Friedland and Esy Casey present a touching portrait of two HIV/AIDS afflicted women as they live out their final months in the province of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. The two women are named Danisile and NTombeleni. Danisile is only thirty-two years old while NTombeleni is only forty years old. Although Danisile is younger, stronger, and has given birth to fewer children than has NTombeleni, she has a lower CD4 Count than does NTombeleni. Despite their weakened immune systems, however, Danisile’s and NTombeleni’s is a valiant struggle to hold onto their lives. With beautiful photography of the Kwazulu Natal region by Esy Casey, and good editing and exceptional direction by Sarah Friedland, the women’s stories are told as they struggle through The Winter Months of 2006.

As Danisile and NTombeleni survive throughout June, July, and August the mental, physical, and the intellectual affects of the disease upon them is contrasted with the health of their children and other family members. Often optimistic, yet f rankly honest, this sensitive glimpse of Danisile and NTombeleni’s lives is intertwined with Traditional South African Customs which the poor people of South Africa depended upon for survival while Apartheid was in place. The South African People have not been able to totally forsake their Traditional Folk Customs. Umemulo (female rights of passage), Ancestor Worship, Traditional Medicinal Practices, and a Traditional African Burial are featured throughout this documentary.

Thing With No Name may be dull and boring for those who are unwilling to read the subtitles for the people in the documentary do not speak English. The English subtitles, however, convey staggering statistics regarding HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa and, specifically, in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa which are astounding enough to compel one to watch the entire film.

For instance, did you know that of The World’s 39.5 million HIV/AIDS infected people that 63% live in Sub-Saharan Africa? Also, did you know that in Kwazulu Natal, one in six people is HIV/AIDS infected. Because of this documentary’s ability to educate its viewers about HIV/AIDS, I would recommend this film as a vehicle with which to improve HIV/AIDS awareness amongst children as well as amongst adolescents and adults. On a scale of from one to twelve roses, therefore, I give Thing With No Name eleven roses.

http://www.thingwithnoname.org/

The Government's War on Cameras!

Crystal Wright: Obama’s Black Agenda?

By Crystal Wright


Race baiting, headline chasing Princeton Professor Cornel West set off a firestorm of outrage among Obama supporters and defenders of hope and change, when he said Obama wasn’t culturally black. West suggested because Obama is more “a white man with black skin,” his policies have done nothing to help poor blacks.

West isn’t the first person to say this. The Congressional Black Caucus and other black liberals have complained Obama has no black agenda and ignored problems plaguing blacks more acutely than whites such as double digit unemployment 16% compared national average of 9%. In some cities like DC and Brooklyn the rate is 30%-50%. Black unemployment is on the verge of being the highest in 25 years.

Only 44% blacks own homes compared to 70% whites; According to “One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008,” published by the Pew Center on the States, one in nine black men between the ages of 20-34 are in prison compared to one in 30 other men of the same age.

The education achievement gap between blacks and whites is still huge. A 2010 report, “A Call for Change,” conducted by the Council of the Great City Schools, found this massive disparity could be attributed to the fact “black children are twice as likely as whites to live in a home where no parent has a job.” This illustrates how cradle to grave government dependency (Welfare to Medicaid) has led to the breakdown of the black family.

I agree with many that Obama is President of all Americans not just one group. But Obama received more than 95% of the black vote in 2008 and like a good Democrat, he pandered to blacks for their vote, running on the same old promises of better education, jobs, blah, blah and delivering ZERO. If I was one of those black voters who voted for Obama, expecting him to address some of these promises and he didn’t, I’d be pissed off too.

Julene Allen-Dell’Amor: College Grads, No JOBs, Living at Home

  More college graduates are finding themselves moving back home because they are not finding jobs. And the jobs that they sustain are not allowing them to substantially pay off student loans. The economy is not getting better any time soon. Realistically, we do not have jobs for our college graduates. We have become an age where many jobs have been eliminated. Customer service, data entry, processing and some technical fields are either outsourced or being replaced by new software and programming. For example, yesterday, we had to pay for film and photo editing. Today we can edit video and film ourselves, without paying for the service.

Budget cuts are taking place in many fields. We just don’t need the same number of employees anymore. Employees will work twice as hard for lower wages. This isn’t about trading and outsourcing jobs alone. We simply do not have the jobs we had 30 years ago. The best scores in college, were a pathway to the top companies that provided all sorts of benefits and pension plans. Many of these companies no longer exist. These days are long gone. A decade and a half ago, computers were the market to enter. But the computer and technology age downsized many positions with new programming and technology. The wave of the future is about creating efficiency.

Bryson Gipson: Social Justice ≠Mountaintop

By Bryson Gipson

I am a huge fan of comedy of all kinds. I enjoy it all from sitcoms to stand up. Who doesn’t love to laugh? Before the election in 2008, comedian Steve Harvey put out a stand up set called “Still Trippin’”. Being the Steve Harvey fan that I am, I had to see it. During the set he tells the audience that, as black people, we have an “obligation” to vote for Barrack Obama. He goes onto say that it’s not even a choice. It’s my duty. This hit a nerve with me. But it’s Steve Harvey. You can’t put too much stock into what comes out of his mouth.

But then I heard black conservative commentator, Armstrong Williams, reiterate that same concept in an interview with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. He confessed that he had this sense of obligation to vote for Obama. This almost made me physically angry.

So because I’m black and he’s black, I have to vote for him? What if I don’t? Am I less black? Am I neglecting my duty as a black man? What would Dr. King say about that? When he said to judge by the content of character and not by the color of the skin did he leave off “…unless they’re the same color as you in which case don’t look into character. Just go with it.”? Isn’t that racism? Aren’t you putting me in a category because of the color of my skin?

As a black man I was extremely insulted by this ridiculous premise that I don’t have a choice or opinion if one of the choices is the same color as me. Why is that? Is it because we have to level the playing field now for black folks? Has affirmative action reached as far as the white house? Hiring someone because you have a minority quota to fill may be acceptable at Office Max or Arby’s. But the leader of the free world? Although I agree with pretty much nothing Obama stands for or believes in, I do concede that he is a smart, capable man. But what if he wasn’t? What if someone as ignorant and corrupt as Jesse Jackson (Sr. or Jr.) had made it that far in the election? Am I obligated to vote for him because he’s black even though I know he’ll lead this country straight to hell? Of course not!

The "Mamma Grizzly" is on the prowl! Sarah Palin Releases "New" Video

Chris Ladd: Is Obama Black?

                                         
Cornel West made news this week for his escalating attacks on the Obama Administration. The Princeton professor and prominent author is one of those political figures like Ron Paul whose sincerity, bluntness, and occasional insight make them consistently attractive in spite of their larger body of extreme ideas. Like Paul on the right, West carries heft on the Democratic outskirts and his decision to confront Obama from inside the Black community is significant.

But not as significant as what he actually said.

West opened up a subject that has been off-limits up to now – Obama’s blackness. West claimed that “all he [Obama] has known culturally is white” and “when he meets an independent black brother it is frightening.” He went on to state that Obama is more comfortable with whites and Jews. Classy.

In essence, West is condemning Obama for undermining the left’s central criteria for authentic blackness. That criteria? Acceptance of the belief that black victimhood is perpetual and inevitable in America (see John McWhorter’s book, Authentically Black).

Naturally, West’s comments have caused a stir, though the ruckus is mostly confined to the left. Let me just say that as a white guy, I find some guilty satisfaction in seeing a leftist black leader get himself bogged down in the same swamp of racial misunderstanding and misinterpretation that has frustrated white politicians for years. Dr. West, thank you very much.

Dr. Ada M. Fisher: Obama and Israel like oil and vinegar

First it was government rule by more than a dozen unelected and congressionally unapproved czars who subverted industry management and the financial system trying to prop up previously ill conceived housing policies and banking greed. Then it was a nontransparent health care plan which bypassed the right of review before it was to be voted upon while granting waivers to over 1700 businesses who like many can’t afford this government largesse.

Followed by an escalation of fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan with the tacit approval of a congress unwilling to demand as is its constitutional purview a vote on any acts of war especially with an engagement of our air troops under the command of the United Nations which could subject them to world sovereignty and world courts for acts which other nations might refuse to support. As the news of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden was released and people were all over themselves giving the Obama Administration credit for an on-going effort to battle terrorism whose title was banned during this administration, I couldn’t help but reflect on the judgment of George W. Bush.

Crystal Wright: GOP Doubtfuls for 2012

If the current crop of declared GOP presidential contenders is the party’s field of dreams for 2012, we’re in real trouble. Reviewing the line up thus far, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty, the group has the charisma factor of a ball of wax. Let’s face it charisma is more than 50% of presidential candidates appeal and for the most part this group is just plain dullsville when stacked up against Obama.

So far, Republicans’ quest for the White House in 2012 is looking more like a bad reality show at best, giving team Obama ample room for confidence the president will win a second term. Comb over, business titan Donald Trump’s flirtation with running for president was truly embarrassing. This week, just when we thought he couldn’t top his ridiculous press conference, taking credit for forcing Obama to reveal his birth certificate, Trump declared he wouldn\’t run for president but “I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and, ultimately , the general election.” Hardly, Americans won’t elect a birther as president.

Michael Steele in talks to join MSNBC

Steele would be a prominent Republican voice on a network known for its liberal television hosts. If the deal goes through, he would join the cable network in time to offer commentary on the 2012 elections. Steele was ousted as head of the Republican Party in its January election. He signed on as a monthly columnist at The Root, an African-American news site owned by The Washington Post, earlier this month.

Read More: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/162425-steele-in-talks-to-join-msnbc

Mary J. Blige - Your Child

( In lieu of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Baby Momma Drama)

Young Blacks for Ron Paul

I pledge to you Dr. Paul, my wealth, my unwaivering support, and above all else, my honor. If you shall stand along my side, along Dr. Paul's side, I encourage you to make your own video stating your claim in defense of liberty. Together, we shall push these ideas who's time is now, into the future. We must not rest, because tyranny never sleeps. It is the age old battle. It is the very same fight every generation before us have fought. This is our battle now. We've drawn our lines in the sand. We must not fear the consequences of standing up, and speaking out. Because the consequence of not doing so, is a much more horrible scenario. So what say you my fellow countrymen?! Onward!!! TO LIBERTY!!!!






Why do young black men find Ron Paul’s message attractive?

African Capitalism not Socialism will save Africa!

African economist George Ayittey explains that capitalism is an indigenous African institution and that it is the free market system and not socialism which promotes Black economic empowerment

Rand Paul & Slavery

By Chris Ladd

The old Democratic argument that health care is a “right” has always rankled me. Extending the definition of Rights to include anything in the world that seems like a good idea cheapens what we have achieved.

In our political system Rights are sacrosanct. As citizens and heirs to a great legacy we have an obligation to live, fight and if necessary die to protect the Rights that gave birth to the American idea.

A good education, a job, a nice home, health insurance, life insurance, a car; these are all valuable. Using government policy to make them more broadly available is great. But are they inalienable Rights granted by our creator and equally guaranteed to all people? Absolutely not.

That said, you can always count on those Paul Boys to take a perfectly reasonable idea and go to eleven with it. Rand Paul in a committee hearing this week on health care launched into an argument that quite frankly I have used myself in the past – that extending Rights into the economic sphere violates the 13th Amendment bar on slavery. Then he ran away with it. I had never before heard the idea taken to its most absurd reaches. In light of Paul’s ridiculous argument, I see I was wrong.

Here’s what Paul said, along with video:

“With regard to the idea of whether you have a right to healthcare, you have to realize what that implies. It’s not an abstraction. I’m a physician. That means you have a right to come to my house and conscript me.

“It means you believe in slavery. It means that you’re going to enslave not only me, but the janitor at my hospital, the person who cleans my office, the assistants who work in my office, the nurses…there is an implied use of force.

Grandmaster Flash "Melle Mel" - (Beat Street Theme)

Believe it or not, there was a time when hip-hop was fun!!

This is what we have to put up with today - http://youtu.be/w7ILhx08alI

The Mis-Education of the Black Man

In 1933, Carter G. Woodson published his classic book entitled, “The Mis-Education of the Negro.” The premise of his book was that Blacks need to be self reliant and not look for others to do for us what we can (and should) do for ourselves.

 Woodson thought that the dominant society was teaching Blacks to have an attitude of dependency and subservience, as opposed to controlling their own destiny and teaching their children the truth about the contributions Blacks made to this country’s history. Woodson was a prolific journalist, author, and a historian who was known as the “Father of Black History.”

According to Woodson, “History shows that it does not matter who is in power… those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they did in the beginning.” Woodson continues, “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”

Children & The State: Foster Care in America

This Foster Care Month, take a min, hour, week or more to get involved to support youth & parents in foster care.

By Cleo Brown

Foster-Care is never an ideal situation for any parent. Many factors contribute to a child not remaining with their parents. Drug and alcohol addiction, AIDS, Mental and Physical Illness, Neglect, Domestic Violence, Abuse, Abandonment, Incarceration, and Homelessness are amongst some of the factors which can contribute to a child’s placement in The Foster-Care System.

In addition to all of these reasons, however, is the superficial and poor training provided by auxiliary support staff (police-officers, paramedics, social workers, health care professionals, teachers, clerics, etc.) that are expected to intercede in altercations in which children and families are involved.

According to statistics compiled in 2005, there are a little over 500,000 children in Foster-Care currently in The United States. While, African-American and Hispanic Children are in the minority in the overall population; they comprise a majority of the children in the Foster-Care System.

Research suggests not only that more of these children are in the Foster-Care System but they also remain in the system for a longer period of time. African-American children comprise 41% of all children in Foster Care while they are only fifteen percent of the population Nationwide.

In the state of Connecticut, similarly, Hispanic children comprise twenty-five percent of the Foster Care Community but are only eleven percent of the overall children’s population. Nationally, fifteen percent of The Foster-Care population is comprised of Hispanic Children.

The failure of support services to professionally and expertly intervene in situations which threaten to destroy the family structure has been cited as the reason for such high numbers of African-American and Hispanic Children in Foster-Care. Not only do those children, who usually enter Foster-Care between the ages of six years old and eighteen years old remain in Foster-Care for a longer period of time, it also takes longer for those children who cannot return home to their parents to find adoptive families. Foster-Care, therefore, is temporary with the child remaining as a ward of the court or of The State.

Thus Spake Zora

John H. McWhorter, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute has written a great article on the life of the black libertarian and social critic Zora Neale Hurston. The article was written for The City Journal and is entitled “Thus Spake Zora”. Below is an excerpt of the article the original can be found at The City Journal’s main website.

Thus Spake Zora – Zora Neale Hurston’s writing challenged black people as well as white.

One of the last photos of Zora Neale Hurston, taken in the late fifties, is heartrending. Once renowned as a handsome figure who could dominate any room, she sits outside a Florida bungalow, a bloated old woman living in poverty, chatting with locals.

As sanguine as she looks, we can’t help wishing that she had been in New York, plugging her latest novel on The Jack Paar Show.

But all her books were out of print, and she was supporting herself on piddling jobs, including working as a maid (not for the first time). She seems to have reached the state of mind that her character Janie describes at the end of her masterwork, Their Eyes Were Watching God: “Ah done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons.”

Continue – Thus Spake Zora

Cuban hip-hop: EAST OF HAVANA, a film review

By Cleo Brown

In East of Havana, Producers Charlize Theron; Clark Peterson; Megan Riley-Grant and Juan Carlos Saizorobatoro, through the provocative photography of Christophe Lanzenburg, tell the story of the rap group (tribe) called El Cartel whose goal is to unify all Hip-Hop Culture in Cuba to strengthen the people in their bid to revolutionize the tiny Island Nation of Cuba.

As the title would suggest, East of Havana are the cities of Alamar and Cojimar which is where all HipHop, Rap, and Dance began in Cuba. The people who live in these two cities are extremely poor and predominantly Black (African-Cuban).

Through the words of Rap Artists from the regions such as Mikki Flow, Magyori(a female), and Soandry, who also belong to El Cartel, it becomes apparent that part of the cultural revolution which they seek is an economic change in the quality of their lives. Good direction by Emilia Menocal and Juaretsi Saizorobator combined with strong editing by Fernando Vilenauva and excellent music by Paul Heck, Frederico Fong, and El Cartel makes East of Havana a treat to watch and to listen to.

If there is a flaw in East of Havana, it is that everyone involved with the project glosses over the fact that musicians in Cuba – as are poets- are being oppressed, suppressed, and imprisoned for speaking what is on their minds and in their hearts about the Cuban Government and about the Society in which they live. We know from listening to the words of Mikki Flow, Magyori, and Soandry that they as a group seek freedom in all aspects of their lives. And We, the viewers, are made aware that something is amiss when The Festival, which the film builds up towards, is cancelled due to Hurricane Charley which is not destructive enough to warrant canceling The Festival.

But, we are never told the real reason why The Cuban Government cancelled the Festival: which is The Government’s fear of a unified people rioting in the streets of Cuba to demand change. In spite of the slick treatment which this film is given, however, I highly recommend this documentary and give East of Havana ten roses on a scale of from one to twelve.

http://www.eastofhavana.com/

Chris Ladd: What Will Follow The Bin Laden Decade?

By Chris Ladd

It’s very odd how a news item about a death halfway around the world can brighten your day. The news lifts something dark, heavy and strangely personal from our shoulders. In a moment like this you recognize with fresh clarity how the shadow of 9/11 has bent our culture across the past decade – The Bin Laden Decade.

I watched the first of the World Trade Center’s towers collapse while standing barefoot in my living room. More than a thousand miles away, at no risk of personal harm, I experienced a scene like the end of the world.

Anyone witnessing that event could feel the darkness coming, and come it did. The ’80′s and ’90′s had brought victory after victory for peace, liberty, and the American way. It felt like the steady progress from better times to even better ones was a sort of birthright. The world was correcting itself and the century ahead looked so promising it was almost dull. That grand decade ended in a flash of murderous vandalism, a desperate, doomed gesture from the world’s bitterest losers. Bastards.

Better times would have to wait. The Bin Laden Era gave us the global revenge of the retrograde. Rationalism was drowned out by shouting and bombs, thought smothered by lunatic terrors. No fear too unreasonable to animate a crowd. No crackpot scenario too ludicrous to be believed. No good idea strong enough to sweep away the hysteria and unite us.

Mendy Hecht: Is Jill Scott a “Racist” ?

Looking back or looking forward? A white Jewish guy thinks out loud on Jill Scott’s interracial reticence.

   By Mendy Hecht

It very well may not be my place, as a guy and a white (and a Jewish one at that), to comment on an article written by a black woman about interracial marriage.

In a recent article on Essence.com, linked to by Drudge and Rush, she laments black men who marry white women. As a white person, of course, my first impulse was, “What a blatant white-hating racist!”

But upon reading the article thoroughly, the Jew should notice striking similarities to the traditional Jewish ban on marrying outside the faith.

While blacks who frown on blacks marrying non-blacks and Jews who frown upon Jews marrying non-Jews do so for very different reasons (one is a social/cultural/ethnic/racial thing and the other is a religious/spiritual thing), they both have one thing in common: identity–i.e., “Never forget who you are and who and where you come from.” A more careful reading of Scott’s literary freestyling (and it reads flowingly well) reveals not “I hate whites!” but “I identify strongly with being black and our history of suffering at the hands of white people, and seeing a black guy married to a white woman just kicks up strong feelings.”

But consider: Wasn’t integration the ultimate goal of desegregation? Wasn’t the idea to create a world where the black man could do and have whatever the white man could do and have? Wasn’t the vision a world in which people were just people?

Shermichael Singleton: The Case for Herman Cain

By Shermichael Singleton

The Republican Party is often referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party). Established in 1854, this party has grown to build a reputation as one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. With a dedicated platform reflecting American conservatism, the GOP has been considered center-right in contrasts to the center-left Democrats.

Such an astounding party has built a strong foundation for themselves within the U.S. political spectrum and is seeking individuals to carry on its legacy. The GOP needs someone who can excite the party and contribute to its growth. Individuals such as Romney and Gingrich have been seen as promising contributors to the GOP and in no way is it my attempt to favor one candidate over the other, however I felt an obligation to come to Cain’s defense.

Many should take into consideration that Herman Cain could bring a new flavor to a dying and rustic party. There is something refreshing about the edginess of Herman Cain, he’s different and it is this prominent factor that will swiftly move him to the front of the line and allow him to capture a victory.

Washington Post writer Rachel Weiner pointed out that Cain stumbled on foreign policy, saying that when it came to Afghanistan he would rely on “the experts and their advice and their input.” I’m not certain about Rachel but I would like a president who’s willing to listen to experts before making important decisions. I should add that none of the candidates have backgrounds that specialize in international relations. So in a debate with more seasoned candidates the gaps in his experience will be NOT be more apparent as Weiner mentioned. She along with many other pundits and analyst have cast Cain as a long shot with no chance of winning, I humble disagree.

Douglas Knickrehm: My take on the Rapper ‘Common’ Controversy

                                            
There are two separate things I’m going to address concerning the “Common Controversy”. The response by Fox News to this “controversy” was absolutely ridiculous. Different commentators made absurd claims all day long, but the outrage expressed by Karl Rove and Sean Hannity grabbed my attention the most. Rove calling Common a “thug” shows significant ignorance to today’s culture. I know you’re a busy man Mr. Rove, but if you would take an hour to hear one Common album you would learn he is the antithesis of a “gangster rapper”.

In fact, he is probably the most well-known “conscious rapper” in the industry. He has produced quality music for two decades, and provided social commentary with his intelligent lyrics and smooth delivery. I’m sure Karl didn’t actually take the time to learn about someone before he defamed his character. I would imagine Karl’s and Sean’s underlings found out a rapper was invited to the White House, looked up his most controversial lyrics, and the two conservative heavyweights used these as fuel for a red herring attack on Obama.

It’s a shame these Republican commentators are so shallow in their attacks on this “invitation”, not only because it will definitely hurt the Republican Party’s image with young, urban, and black voters, but because they missed the real opportunity to criticize this event. Hannity and Rove cast themselves as patriots and supporters of freedom; however, their reactions to this invitation contradict their images. Their dedicated fan base won’t be dissuaded of the two’s commitment to freedom, but more independent thinkers will take notice of the hypocrisy.

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor ft. Pitbull

lalalalallalalalllllllllllllll­lllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaalalalalala­lalalal
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice + like

Carlos Garcia: Why I’m an urban/hip-hop Republican….

By Carlos Garcia

I grew up urban. An Army brat. Son of an Irish/Celtic mother, and a Colombian/French father whom I mostly favor. From north Miami, Florida; to Reading, Pennsylvania. Both ghetto, both hard, and both to varying degrees, victims of the leftist Democrat system of minority vote harvesting by continuing welfare dependency, radical historical revisionism, reverse racist Affirmative Action, and pop culture brainwashing, Reading especially.

Growing up, I was mostly concerned with graduating high school, and attaining an Associate’s Degree at least so I wouldn’t fall through the economic cracks and become said dependent. So I never paid much mind to politics, until 1997. I was 11, and my pop’s speeches against the Clinton administration began catching my ear more and more. While I pursued and open mind and didn’t take what he said as immediate Gospel, it did get me more interested in politics, and everything related. I began asking him bout many things political, he answered, and my journey into the world of politics and all it entailed was on.

Flash forward 3 years to the 2000 Presidential election, which my pops drafted me into duty for. I was bored and blah bout it at first, but after seeing all the media glamor, meeting cool people, suspense, and free food and drink, I was pretty much hooked. November 4, 2000 was one of the most suspenseful nights of my life, and I loved every minute of it.

Hit or Miss

Dear Mr. President:

Don't do that. Oil companies are making profits. With those profits come two options: a) invest in capital(financial or equipment); or b) repay investors through dividends(who are assumed to be wealthy individuals, something Democrats do not want to see occur).

In reality they are probably pension funds and corporate investors. Your statement means that you plan to take a profitable industry and make it less profitable, as opposed to using the profitable industry to create jobs. One could argue the redistribution of wealth theory, but from a business perspective it costs time, and time cost money.

ADELE 'Rolling In The Deep' (Music Video)

 There is POP and Rock and Hip Hop and R&B and Metal..and now we have a whole new genre of music...Adele

Osama bin Laden dead

"Justice has been done," President Obama says in a televised speech to the nation. Bin Laden, mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks and Al Qaeda leader, was killed by a CIA-led team at a compound inside Pakistan.

 

Here is the Link: http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/244f68d1-77d6-49ae-9f20-08709f65c749/News/KTLA-President-Obama-Speech-Al-Qaeda-Leader-Osama-Bin-Laden-Dead

HHR Interview : Terminal City Inc.

HHR Blog sat down to do an interview with Just-One a member of the New York City band Terminal City. Terminal City was founded in 2009 by NYC emcee Just-One and guitarist/songwriter Derek Kunkel. The clash between Just-One’s edgy flow and Derek’s melodic guitar quickly became the basis around which Terminal City has developed. Today, the band fuses indie rock with hip hop and funk to create a dark intelligent sound that is both danceable and melodic.

HHR Blog: Tell our blog readers about yourself…where are you from…where were you born…where were you raised…which city and state are currently home to you?

I’m Just-One… I am from NYC… I was born in Upstate New York, and raised in several places along the East Coast. I am currently residing in NYC working with my band, Terminal City Inc.

HHR Blog: What type of a family did you grow up in?

I was adopted by Ministers of the Protestant faith when I was an infant, and raised in a environment of spirituality and education.

HHR Blog: What do you like about the City you currently reside?

NYC is my muse, my mistress, and my disciplinarian. She inspires me, but keeps me humble, and reminds me that at any time she can eat me alive like a Preying Mantis.

HHR Blog: Which do you prefer: performing solo or with a band?

I love performing with my band, but I also love performing solo over dope production. I can’t say I prefer one to the other. I love them both exactly the same, but completely differently which is what we call a paradox.

HHR Blog: Have you written any songs? Who has recorded them?

Daniel Williamson: The Urban Machine

I’m quite familiar with Detroit. I’ve been there many times. I was born in Sandusky, Ohio, and I can see that many Detroiters are familiar with my hometown, too, as evidenced by the license plates of the cars snaking their way along the roads leading to Cedar Point.

Ohio has a Rust Belt problem, too. On two occasions (2002 and 2004) I was the Republican candidate for state representative in a portion of Ohio’s Rust Belt, encompassing Lorain, Oberlin, parts of Elyria, and the vicinity. I didn’t win the elections, as one would expect in such Democrat bastions, but I had a chance to think long and hard about remedies for Rust Belt decay as I drew up my own economic development plans for the district I hoped to represent.

It would take a book to detail each facet of what I envisioned, and even my own blog, to date, contains only a fraction of my proposals, so I don’t plan to elaborate much within this thread (it’s already a wall of text, as it is), but my approach to urban renewal differs from most other approaches I’ve come across. My approach is different because my assessment of the causes of the decay are different. While I readily agree that Detroit’s economy must be diversified to counter the prevailing trend, I do not think that the auto industry is at the root of the decay at all.

Attitudes are at the root of the decay.

Douglas Knickrehm: The Case for “Lil Boosie” – Guilty until Proven Innocent in Louisiana

Criticism of “Free Boosie” Movement Trades Liberty and Compassion for the Heavy Hand of Big Brother

            
                       By Douglas Knickrehm

Two days ago I came across the article “Free Boosie movement stupid, calls for release of murderer” by Chris Grillot. It was so appalling and misleading I felt a response was necessary. The sad fact is the basis of the American justice system has been perverted in the case of Torrence Hatch aka “Lil Boosie”. Based on Grillot’s title alone, we can believe he presumes Hatch guilty.

This plays directly into the hands of the DA who manufactured the charge against Boosie. In a jury trial, especially one with a high profile defendant, public perception can be a tool for either side. If Grillot’s attitude is the prevailing mindset in Baton Rouge, I fear for anyone accused of a crime there. Fortunately, this attitude is wrong and Grillot’s article provides a perfect example to dissect.

Before we start I’ll provide a brief background for those who may not know who I’m talking about: Lil’ Boosie is a rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is currently facing a first degree murder charge. He is not to be confused with Lil’ Wayne, who has had his own legal troubles and will be mentioned in the next paragraph. Sorry to those who knew this info, but my mom told me she was confused by the two so I thought I’d clarify for the older crowd.

Grillot’s enthusiasm for arresting and locking away “criminals” triggered the first alarm for me. Specifically, when Grillot writes, “Wayne was finally locked up”. This is the first of many phrases that seem to applaud putting people in cages (prison) for petty crimes. He then complains about people wanting the “gun-toting, tear-drop-tattooed criminal to be released”.